RecyclePoints and the Mastercard Foundation are announcing today a partnership to enable more than 8,000 women and young people to access work opportunities aimed at tackling the challenges associated with waste pollution and unemployment in underserved communities in Nigeria.
The intervention aims to create green work for 410 youth, build the resilience of 40 women-led MSMEs, and strengthen RecyclePoints’ capacity to aggregate recycling waste that will benefit thousands of disadvantaged persons and communities who have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through this intervention, 40 drop-off recycling bins will be procured and installed across Lagos, Port- Harcourt, and Owerri to allow for the safe collection of recyclable items.
Through project DORI, women can deploy proprietary waste and recycling assets such as the DORI Bin, to communities to collect waste, and in return, they will earn an income.
One of the program participants, Adeola Junaid, expressed her appreciation to the organizers of the initiative. “I sincerely thank RecyclePoints and Mastercard Foundation for providing this recycle bin program, as many people are bringing cans and plastics which I can redeem and use to collect money,” she said.
Speaking about the partnership, the Nigeria Country Head at the Mastercard Foundation, Chidinma Lawanson, said that the partnership is one of the numerous ways in which the Foundation intends to reduce the disruptions on society caused by COVID-19. “We will continue to focus on enabling young people and women to secure sustainable income-generating opportunities so they can support themselves, their families, and communities,” she added.
The Co-Founder/CEO of RecyclePoints, Mazi Ukonu, noted that it has become imperative to reduce the health risks associated with uncollected waste, particularly in low-income communities. “With Project DORI, we are intentionally targeting low-income communities as they are the most vulnerable to the environmental and health hazards of uncollected waste.”
Through project DORI, the Mastercard Foundation is demonstrating its commitment to ensuring more young Africans and women access work opportunities, thereby contributing to the reduction of the unemployment rate. Project DORI is also proudly supported by the Ministry of Environment Lagos, Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Imo State Waste Management (ISWAMA) Agency, and several other organizations.
The Mastercard Foundation works with visionary organizations to enable young people in Africa and in Indigenous communities in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. It is one of the largest, private foundations in the world with a mission to advance learning and promote financial inclusion to create an inclusive and equitable world. The Foundation was created by Mastercard in 2006 as an independent organization with its own Board of Directors and management.
The Mastercard Foundation COVID-19 Recovery and Resilience Program has two main goals. First, to deliver emergency support for health workers, first responders, and students. Second, to strengthen the diverse institutions that are the first line of defence against the social and economic aftermath of this disease. These include universities, financial services providers, businesses, technology start-ups, incubators, government agencies, youth organizations, and non-governmental organizations.
RecyclePoints is a waste recycling and social benefit venture that operates an incentive-based scheme that collects recyclable materials from post-consumers and in turn rewards them with “Points” which they can accumulate and use to redeem/shop for household items offered through our recycle store.
